Emma leaned into her cousin for a moment, quite able to agree with such a remark, although she remained silent. She turned away from Lord Thornbridge, knowing full well that her eyes would follow him across the room if they were given any opportunity.
“Shall we make our way to another room? I can imagine that it must be a little difficult to be so near and yet so far from Lord Thornbridge.”
Sighing, Emma threw a quick smile at her cousin.
“You seem to know my thoughts.”
Diane laughed.
“That is because I know what it is like to be standing in the same room as one’s gentleman,” she answered, before leading her through the drawing room and into the hallway.
They meandered from room to room for some time, remarking on the games and doing everything they couldnotto discuss the situation with Lord Thornbridge, until Emma could wait no longer.
“Have you ever met Lord Warrington before?” Glancing at her cousin, the happiness she had felt on seeing Lord Thornbridge was dissipating, her nervousness rising again. “I would know who he is. Do you think he might have arrived yet?”
A loud, explosive exclamation caught Emma’s question and threw it aside, with both her and Diane’s gaze going to the door of the library as a gentleman staggered inside. Red-faced, and with a huge grin plastered across his face, he tottered across towards one of the tables, grabbed at a chair, and sat down.
“Good gracious!” Tutting, Emma turned away from the sight. “That disgraceful gentleman appears half in his cups already, before he has even arrived! That is something of a scandal, is it not?”
“Warrington!” another fellow roared, slamming the table with one hand as Lord Warrington sat down.
Emma’s eyes flared wide as she turned towards her cousin, one hand pressed lightly against her stomach.
“Wait, is he…?”
“I think we should have been able to guess that such a fellow was Lord Warrington,” Diane remarked, a little dryly.
Anxiety climbed up Emma’s throat.
“Do you think that Lord Thornbridge knows he is here?”
“I am sure Lord Stoneleigh will have told him,” came the reply. “Yes, it does appear as though he is half cut already, which despite the shame of it, is to Lord Thornbridge’s advantage.”
Emma nodded slowly, her stomach tightening as she watched Lord Warrington reach for his hand of cards. Obviously, the gentleman was quite ready to begin the evening, and she recalled Colbridge stating that his uncle loved to gamble. This seemed to be exactly what it was he was doing, and she could only pray that when it was time for Lord Thornbridge to sit at the table, he would remain unrecognized by Lord Warrington.
“I do hope that he will find success.” Murmuring half to herself but half to her cousin, Emma took long, slow, steadying breaths as Lord Warrington threw down one card, then exclaimed in loud astonishment when the fellow next to him set down his card in turn. It seemed he had not been given the result he wanted.
Her eyes returned to the door, where she and Diane had only just come in. To her joy, she saw Lord Thornbridge standing there. His eyes were not on her, however, but rather on Lord Warrington. From the small, flickering frown threatening to settle on his forehead, Emma could not tell whether or not he was pleased that the situation had come about as they had intended. For a moment, she imagined what it would be like to look into the face of the person who had injured one so badly, trying to put herself into Lord Thornbridge’s place, but it would not come to her. She could not even imagine such a thing. There would be so much pain, so much suffering, so much disgrace and anger that had been caused by that one man that she did not know how Lord Thornbridge kept such a calm countenance.
“He must feel so very much,” she murmured as Diane glanced over to where she was looking. “I hope that he can keep his emotions in check when he plays with Lord Warrington, and that his inner struggles will not cloud his judgment.”
“Lord Thornbridge is capable of many things,” Diane reminded her. “Recall that he has done such a thing before!”
Emma blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“He tried to force himself away from you, even when he cared about you so very much. Had it not been for your determination, then I am sure that he would have separated himself from you for good. You need not worry, Lord Thornbridge will be able to do just as is required.”
This brought Emma a small amount of comfort and she nodded slowly.
“You are right,” she agreed quietly. “He will be able to keep his emotions hidden, he will not give himself away, and he will achieve success. I truly believe it. This is the start of what will be a very hopeful future.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Ishould say that now is the time.” Lord Stoneleigh nudged Henry. “Lord Warrington appears to be foxed already.”
“He certainly does,” Henry agreed, seeing the fellow set down his card with some difficulty, as though he could not quite work out where the table was. “Mayhap I have waited too long.”
